Freeze-thaw hysteresis effects in terahertz imaging of biomedical tissues

The spectrum of Ih ice using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Here, we report the frequency-dependent spectrum of ice Ih in the range of 0.2-2 THz. We confirm the presence of a feature that blue-shifts from around 1.55-1.65 THz with a decreasing temperature from 260 to 160 K. There is also a change in the trend of the refractive index of ice corresponding to a dispersion, which is also around 1.6 THz. The features are reproduced in data acquired with three commercial terahertz time-domain spectrometers. Computer-simulated spectra assign the feature to lattice translations perpendicular to the 110 and 1̄10 planes of the ice Ih crystal. The feature's existence should be recognized in the terahertz measurements of frozen aqueous solution samples to avoid false interpretations.

Near-Field Terahertz Morphological Reconstruction Nanoscopy for Subsurface Imaging of Protein Layers

Protein layers formed on solid surfaces have important applications in various fields. High-resolution characterization of the morphological structures of protein forms in the process of developing protein layers has significant implications for the control of the layer's quality as well as for the evaluation of the layer's performance. However, it remains challenging to precisely characterize all possible morphological structures of protein in various forms, including individuals, networks, and layers involved in the formation of protein layers with currently available methods. Here, we report a terahertz (THz) morphological reconstruction nanoscopy (THz-MRN), which can reveal the nanoscale three-dimensional structural information on a protein sample from its THz near-field image by exploiting an extended finite dipole model for a thin sample. THz-MRN allows for both surface imaging and subsurface imaging with a vertical resolution of ∼0.5 nm, enabling the characterization of various forms of proteins at the single-molecule level. We demonstrate the imaging and morphological reconstruction of single immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules, their networks, a monolayer, and a heterogeneous double layer comprising an IgG monolayer and a horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-IgG layer. The established THz-MRN presents a useful approach for the label-free and nondestructive study of the formation of protein layers.

Measurement and Modeling of the Optical Properties of Adipose Tissue in the Terahertz Range: Aspects of Disease Diagnosis

In this paper, the measurement and modeling of optical properties in the terahertz (THz) range of adipose tissue and its components with temperature changes were performed. Spectral measurements were made in the frequency range 0.25-1 THz. The structural models of main triglycerides of fatty acids are constructed using the B3LYP/6-31G(d) method and the Gaussian03, Revision B.03 program. The optical density (OD) of adipose tissue samples decreases as temperature increases, which can be associated mostly with the dehydration of the sample. Some inclusion of THz wave scattering suppression into the OD decrease can also be expected due to refractive index matching provided by free fatty acids released from adipocytes at thermally induced cell lipolysis. It was shown that the difference between the THz absorption spectra of water and fat makes it possible to estimate the water content in adipose tissue. The proposed model was verified on the basis of molecular modeling and a comparison with experimental data for terahertz spectra of adipose tissue during its heating. Knowing the exact percentage of free and bound water in adipose tissue can help diagnose and monitor diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

Using Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Apparatus to Investigate the Temperature Dependent Dielectric Properties of Water, Ice, and Tissue-Representative Fats

A novel method of investigating the temperature dependent variation of aspects of the complex refractive index n* in samples in the THz range using continuous, non-polarised, synchrotron radiation is presented. The method relies on the use of ATR apparatus, and retains the advantage of minimal sample preparation, which is a feature of ATR techniques. The method demonstrates a “proof of concept” of monitoring temperature reflectance whilst continuously heating or cooling samples by using a temperature variable Thermal Sample Stage. The method remains useful when the refractive index of the sample precludes attenuated total reflection study. This is demonstrated with the water reflectance experiments. The temperature dependent ATR reflectance of tissue-representative fats (lard and Lurpak® butter) was investigated with the novel approach. Both are within the ATR range of the diamond crystal in a “true” ATR mode. Lard showed no clear temperature variation between −15 °C and 24 °C at 0.7 to 1.15 THz or 1.70 to 2.25 THz. Lard can be regarded as having invariable, constant, dielectric properties within mixtures when biological substances are being assessed for temperature dependent dielectric variation within the stated THz ranges. Lurpak® butter (water content 14.7%) displayed temperature dependent reflected signal intensity features with a steady decline in reflectivity with increasing temperature. This is in line with the temperature-dependent behaviour of liquid water. There is no rapid change in reflected signal intensity even at −20 °C, suggesting that emulsified water retains liquid-water-like THz properties at freezing temperatures.

Detecting melanoma with a terahertz spectroscopy imaging technique

Transmission mode terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system was employed to image BALB/c mouse skin tissue slices containing melanoma. The melanoma was unambiguously identified in the frequency region of 0.6-1.8 THz because melanoma has a higher refractive index as well as a higher absorption coefficient than the normal region of the skin tissue. Based on the results of hematoxylin-eosin staining and mass weighing, it was further suggested that the higher density of nucleic acids, higher water content, and lower fat content in the melanoma compared to the normal region are major factors responsible for melanoma's higher refractive index and absorption coefficient than normal tissue. The present work validates that terahertz time-domain spectroscopy imaging technique is possible to be used for the diagnosis of melanoma.

Determination of terahertz permittivity of dehydrated biological samples

A key step in transforming terahertz imaging to a practical medical imaging modality lies in understanding the interactions between terahertz (THz) waves and biological tissues. Most of the models in the literature use the permittivity of liquid water to simulate the THz-tissue interactions, but they often neglect contributions from the biological background such as proteins and lipids because dehydrated biological samples are experimentally difficult to prepare. In this work, we present a method to prepare thin and flat dehydrated samples which can be easily handled and measured in a transmission setup. Our results will provide fundamental parameters for modelling THz-tissue interactions.

Composite multiscale entropy analysis of reflective terahertz signals for biological tissues

We demonstrate a composite multiscale entropy (CMSE) method of terahertz (THz) signal complexity analysis to distinguish different biological tissues. The THz signals reflected from fresh porcine skin and muscle tissues were measured and analyzed. The statistically significant difference and separation of the two tissues based on several parameters were analyzed and compared for THz spectroscopy and imaging, which verified the better performance of the CMSE method and further enhancement of the contrast among THz signals that interact with different tissues. This process provides a better analysis and discrimination method for THz spectroscopy and imaging in biomedical applications.

Recent advances in terahertz technology for biomedical applications

Terahertz instrumentation has improved significantly in recent years such that THz imaging systems have become more affordable and easier to use. THz systems can now be operated by non-THz experts greatly facilitating research into many potential applications. Due to the non-ionising nature of THz light and its high sensitivity to soft tissues, there is an increasing interest in biomedical applications including both in vivo and ex vivo studies. Additionally, research continues into understanding the origin of contrast and how to interpret terahertz biomedical images. This short review highlights some of the recent work in these areas and suggests some future research directions.

Terahertz imaging of metastatic lymph nodes using spectroscopic integration technique

Terahertz (THz) imaging was used to differentiate the metastatic states of frozen lymph nodes (LNs) by using spectroscopic integration technique (SIT). The metastatic states were classified into three groups: healthy LNs, completely metastatic LNs, and partially metastatic LNs, which were obtained from three mice without infection and six mice infected with murine melanoma cells for 30 days and 15 days, respectively. Under histological examination, the healthy LNs and completely metastatic LNs were found to have a homogeneous cellular structure but the partially metastatic LNs had interfaces of the melanoma and healthy tissue. THz signals between the experimental groups were not distinguished at room temperature due to high attenuation by water in the tissues. However, a signal gap between the healthy and completely metastatic LNs was detected at freezing temperature. The signal gap could be enhanced by using SIT that is a signal processing method dichotomizing the signal difference between the healthy cells and melanoma cells with their normalized spectral integration. This technique clearly imaged the interfaces in the partially metastatic LNs, which could not be achieved by existing methods using a peak point or spectral value. The image resolution was high enough to recognize a metastatic area of about 0.7 mm size in the partially metastatic LNs. Therefore, this pilot study demonstrated that THz imaging of the frozen specimen using SIT can be used to diagnose the metastatic state of LNs for clinical application.